The demand for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur has intensified, with sections of the Meitei and Naga communities seeking identification of alleged illegal immigrants, while the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), representing the Kuki community, has opposed the demand.
The ITLF argued that there is no constitutional provision for conducting an NRC update in an individual state. According to the organisation, the NRC is a matter concerning the entire country. It pointed out that the NRC exercise in Assam was carried out under the provisions of the Assam Accord, and claimed that conducting a similar exercise in Manipur would be unconstitutional and discriminatory.
Meanwhile, a 24-hour general strike called by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation to press for updating the NRC before the Census disrupted normal life across at least five valley districts of Manipur on Tuesday.
Markets and commercial establishments remained closed, educational institutions did not open and most roads wore a deserted look. Public transport remained off the roads in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching districts.
The strike continued even after the Centre decided on Monday to defer the Census exercise in Manipur. The organisers maintained that they would not withdraw the strike as no formal government order announcing the deferment had been issued.
State Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam appealed to the protesters to call off the shutdown and allow normal life to resume.
Amid the continuing protests, Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh urged civil society organisations and all other stakeholders to refrain from calling bandhs and general strikes, saying repeated shutdowns were adversely affecting people’s livelihoods.
He said daily-wage workers, students and other vulnerable sections were bearing the brunt of such disruptions.
The Chief Minister said the state government was making every possible effort to address the concerns raised by the people and appealed to all stakeholders to cooperate with the administration instead of resorting to measures that disrupt normal life.
Khemchand stressed that all sections of society must work collectively to restore lasting peace and normalcy in the violence-affected state. He expressed particular concern over the impact of repeated shutdowns on students, warning that disruption to the academic environment could affect their education and future career prospects.
The Chief Minister also referred to the proposed visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Manipur in October, describing it as a potentially important development in efforts to address issues raised by civil society organisations.
Khemchand had recently travelled to New Delhi along with representatives of 14 civil society organisations to press for implementation of the NRC in Manipur before the Census.
The Centre’s decision to defer the Census in the state came after a high-level meeting chaired by Amit Shah on Monday, where demands from sections of the public and civil society organisations seeking deferment of the exercise until the NRC is implemented in Manipur were considered.
The NRC issue has emerged as another major point of contention in the state, where ethnic tensions and political disagreements have persisted since the outbreak of violence in 2023.
